Landlord Fined for Blocked Fire Escape Window

DOB issued a violation notice to landlord because a 36-inch wide window leading to an apartment fire escape was blocked by a Sheetrock partition. This reduced the width of the window to 25 inches and violated the 1968 Building Code. The ALJ fined landlord $800. Landlord appealed and lost. Landlord claimed that DOB signed off on the window configuration in 1960. But this was no excuse. ECB upheld the violation.

Wolk Prop.: ECB App. No. 1301281 (5/29/14) [1-pg. doc.]